One of our favorite family outings has always been the Farmer's Market. I get excited about shopping for food the way most women get about shopping for shoes. I mean real, honest to goodness
food from the earth....not some chemicals and noodles in a box trying to pass itself off as such. The beauty of fresh peppers, the imperfection of carrots straight out of the ground, the smell of fresh parsley, cilantro or scallions...these things never fail to make me happy. I can't resist a stalk of brussel sprouts or a cute little basket of blueberries.The medley of greens, reds, oranges, yellows, purples....The smells of the vegetables, fruits, and flowers mingling with hot coffee, kettle corn, elephant ears and plates overflowing with yakisoba noodles....to me is at once calming, soothing, uplifting. Talking with the people that actually grew and picked my food, learning about their practices and sharing recipes...
Have I mentioned that I love the Farmer's Market?
Together we ooh and aah at the food, the flowers (yes, even the delicious jams and jellies!), the jewelry, the artisan crafts, and all the goodies the market has to offer. The wagon always starts off the day giving rides to our children, but eventually it gets filled with our bounty and they have to climb out, but they never seem to mind. (Then they get to pull the wagon, after all.) When we're done we head to the nearby playground, always a treat at the end of the trip as the girls run, climb, flip, slide, and always make new friends.
I can't think of a much better way to spend an afternoon!
